Week 3 Reading Diary, continued: Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

The continuation of this week's reading diary, Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

Birds, Part 1

• The Fox and the Crow: "Do not trust flatterers."
• The Crow and the Pitcher: with a lot of hard work, anything is possible
• The Tortoise and the Birds: beware when entering an enemy's territory. The Crow and Eagle are just cruel at this point, dropping the tortoise to crack the shell.
• The Jay and the Peacock: don't try to be someone you're not. "Borrowed plumes are soon discovered."
• The Peacock and Juno: be happy with what you are and have.

Birds, Part 2

• The Swallow and the Other Birds: stop something bad before it happens, not try to solve it afterwards. "Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin."
• The Labourer and the Nightingale: the labourer should have been happy that the nightingale was singing, not capture it. He also shouldn't trust someone in captive, since they tend to say anything to get free.
• The Eagle and the Arrow: the eagle got killed by an arrow that contains its own feathers.
• The Cock and the Pearl: the value of something depends on the beholder.
• The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog: there can be many clever people in the room at the same time.
• The Bats, the Birds, and the Beasts: sounds like you have to choose your allegiance early. No one likes a snake, slithering from one side to another.

Insects, Snakes, Crabs

• The Ant and the Grasshopper: be prepared for any situation. This reminds me of another story almost exactly like this, but with mice (I think) instead.
• The Man and the Serpent: some things are too severe to 'forget and forgive'.
• The Woodman and the Serpent: sometimes bad people just remain bad; nothing can change them. The snake didn't care that the woodman warmed it up.
• The Serpent and the File: "It is useless attacking the insensible."
• The Two Crabs: it's easiest and maybe most effective to learn from example. The mother crab couldn't walk straight herself.

Frogs and Fish

• The Frogs Desiring a King: the frogs weren't happy with the "log king" so Jove sent a stork to ate them all since he was mad. 
• The Frog and the Ox: the frog wanted to lie to himself that he was as big as an ox so badly that he caused himself to burst.
• The Fisher: the fish did what the man wanted, since he had them all in a net (he had the power).
• The Fisher and the Little Fish: having something concrete now, though small, is better than a potential bigger abstract thing in the future. Like saving money. Most people would rather have $100 now than later.

Nature and Inanimate Objects

• The Man and the Wood: the man asked for a piece of wood, the trees gave, and he turned that piece into an axe and cut down all the trees. (In thai: ได้คืบจะเอาศอก)
• The Tree and the Reed: flying under the radar is better than drawing attention (sometimes). The reed was more flexible and able to move; unlike the tree with its deep roots and high tops.
• The Wind and the Sun: the wind blew strong, but rather than take the coat off, the man drew it tighter. The sun shone bright until it's too hot, and the traveller had to take the coat off.
• The Two Pots: "The strong and the weak cannot keep company."
• The Belly and the Members: parts of a system rely on each other: the hands, mouth, and legs rely on the belly being full to function properly.

Humans and Gods

• The Man and the Wooden God: I didn't really understand this one. The Man received a wooden idol from his father that didn't seem to work. One day he was mad and made a swipe at it, making it fall and crack apart. There are a lot of coins inside of the idol. 
• Avaricious and Envious: "Vices are their own punishment."
• The Man and the Satyr: man blew on hands to warm them, then blew on soup to cool them. Satyr kicked him out. 
• Hercules and the Wagoner: don't expect divine help to do all the work; you have to do some things too. 
• The Old Man and Death: we won't always be happy if our wishes came true.

Family and Friends

• The Man and His Mother: kids are easy to influence; they will do what they are taught.
• The Man and His Two Wives: old wife pick out black hair, young wife pick out white hair; result is man go bald. Have some backbone!
• The Bundle of Sticks: strength in numbers.
• The Two Fellows and the Bear: "Never trust a friend who deserts you at a pinch."

People Wise and Foolish, Part 1

• The Mountains in Labour: a mouse came out of a crack in the earth: small things can result in something big?
• The Shepherd's Boy: the boy who cried wolf. He lied too many times, so many that no one believed him anymore.

Boy who cried wolf! (source: Google)

• The Buffon and the Countryman: buffoon imitated pig noise, audience loved it. Countryman got a real pig, people hate it. People like what they want to see?
• The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar: "What memories cling 'round the instruments of our pleasure."
• The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner: words are sometimes stronger than actions.

People Wise and Foolish, Part 2

• The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey: don't try to please everyone; you can't.
• The Bald Man and the Fly: confused. Fly bothers a bald man, making him smack his own head. He stops, since he knows he won't get it and would end up hurting himself.
• The Milkmaid and Her Pail: "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched."
• The Miser and His Gold: only looking at gold is useless; might as well use it so it has value.
• The Goose with Golden Eggs: don't get too greedy. A golden-egg laying goose could not lay eggs if it is dead by being cut open.